UPDATED: MAY 27, 2013 Poured a clear dark amber with a two finger white head.Smells like citrus and aromatic hops. A little caramel malt comes throughCitrus and a little earthy pine in the taste. Perfectly balanced. Slightly bitter aftertasteLots of carbonation in this beer and lots of flavor.

22 oz bottle. Pours a clear bright copper body with a small fizzy white head that faded to a thin film. Light visible carbonation. The nose is very spicy with tons of rye malt and and a bright tropical fruit quality from the fairly heavy handed hoppiness. Smells a lot like Nelson hops, but the label doesn’t state what was used. The flavor is an interesting mix of the rye and the fruity hops, the combo yields an almost papaya like flavor that is pretty interesting. There’s very minimal bitterness to the hops, it’s all flavor. A little bit of caramel sweetness makes it past the rye, but it’s not overly sweet. Medium bodied with fizzy prickly carbonation. Lingering tropical fruit notes that last forever. Quite an interesting beer, I was not expecting the hop profile that I got with this beer. I was expecting something very citrusy and resiny with lots of bitterness to enhance the rye, but it’s 180 from that. Certainly a beer to seek out and give a try if you have the chance.

On tap
If I had to sum this beer up I would call it a reuben in a glass. With the mixture of rye and other flavors playing against each other well I thought about trying to get myself a bomber to take home and share. If you are in State College be sure to not miss this gem.

Aroma / Appearance - The opaque body masks about a third of the light of the dark basement. Coppery bronze with a yellowed eggshell head it looks like brittle paper. Rye bread wrapped around a warm reuben sandwich makes the mouth water. The vague sweetness adds even more depth.

Flavor / Palate - A chewy pairing of rye and licorice tickle the palate. Black anise lingers in the back of the throat. Filling and robust it is a great local release. If I could have tried more beers in this vein over the few days in town it would not have been a waste.

Draft at Zeno’s. Pours dark brown with an inch of white foam that leaves some lacing in the glass. Big rye on the nose. I could smell this beer all day. Nice rye notes on the tongue as well but there’s balance. It’s not overpowering. Finishes clean. This beer is worth the trip alone.

Old Review from back in 2010 - Zeno’s Rye Ale pours a hazy dark amber color. A huge fluffy head is poured initially but quickly calms down to the picture up above. Spotty lacing throughout the glass. The smell is definitely the smell of a fantastic IPA. Nice caramel malt background, citrus with a slightly piney aroma. Mixed in there is the spicy rye. It’s not huge at all. Not like the latest rye beer I had, Founder’s Red’s Rye PA. This one just mixed in perfectly. Lovely smell. I couldn’t take my nose away.
Taste is just fantastic. I really hope Otto’s eventually puts this out full time because as soon as I finished my glass I had thoughts of calling Jeff and asking him to get more. Once again the rye is there but it just sits perfectly with every other ingredient. Nothing really stands out. Everything meshes together into an almost perfect taste. Citrus, bready, caramel malt, and the spicy rye. Fantastic IPA with a slight amount of rye and bitterness. What makes it even better is the mouthfeel. It’s full, smooth, and really creamy. Coats your mouth.

On-tap at Zeno’s earlier this afternoon.
A- Body is a nearly transparent red/amber hue. Served with a 1/2 finger or so slightly rusty foamy head. Head fades to a thick collar but has great retention from there. Some lacing left behind in the glass.
S-Nice hoppy smell, lots of grapefruit and other citrus (lemon, orange) upfront but a good bready backbone with a hint of caramel.
T- Taste is similar to the smell. Nice hoppy flavor with a good dose of citrus hops upfront and a substantial bready rye and caramel malt backbone. Finish is more hoppy as the bitterness begins to kick in but a sweet breadiness lingers to balance out the bitterness.
P- Medium tingly carbonation and medium weight body that is full,smooth, and somewhat oily.
O- This is awesome and one of my favorite rye beers-2nd only to Cane & Ebel. Well put together and very drinkable-I’d like to try other offerings from Otto’s pub.
Serving type: on-tap
Reviewed on: 05-08-2010 23:04:46

On tap at Zeno’s. Pours a clear, red-orange colored body with a finger-width, frothy, white head that dissipates slowly and leaves a nice lacing. Aroma is solid. Citrusy florals and grass with a light rye, peppery spice. A bit oily and resiny with a light bready caramel. Flavor is nice. Lots of citrus grass with some resin and peppery rye. Plenty of fruity florals with a light, balancing malt. Finishes a bit resiny and oily with a good amount of bitterness and very crisp. Lengthy, rye citrus aftertaste after a light to medium body and moderate carbonation. Overall, a solid rye beer. Lots of hops and a nice balanced make this very enjoyable and sessionable.

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